Civil engineer · Knoxville, TN
Civil engineer in Knoxville: $3,162/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Knoxville at $96,320 a year. About 1,110 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.10). The 10th percentile is $63,860 and the 90th is $160,350. Pay ranks 183rd-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,296/mo). Tennessee has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,162 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Decatur, about 198 miles away, at $3,536 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,162
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$96,320
$63,860 to $160,350
Rent (1 bd)
$1,296
$1,543 (2 bd)
Employment
1,110
Location quotient 1.10
Pay rank
183rd of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.2×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $96,320.
- Taxes$1,681
- Rent$1,296
- Other living costs$1,888
- Left over$3,162
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $96,320
- Federal income tax
- −$12,804
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,368
- State income tax (TN)
- None
- Take-home pay
- $76,147
- Effective tax rate
- 20.9%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,296
- Groceries
- $368
- Getting around
- $554
- Healthcare
- $414
- Utilities and internet
- $230
- Everything else
- $322
- Total spending
- $3,184
Left over each month
$8,027 gross, minus $1,681 in tax and $3,184 in living costs.
$3,162
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Decatur, $3,536/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Other jobs in Knoxville
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a civil engineer make in Knoxville?
$96,320 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,110 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Knoxville?
$3,162 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Tennessee has no state income tax Rent is $1,296, and pay covers 6.2× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Decatur, about 198 miles away, leaves $3,536 a month, more than Knoxville.